Why is everybody so fixated with the Med? I've been pondering this since arriving back from the gloriously unspoilt coastline of Galicia, on Spain's "other seaboard."
Foreign tourists have helped turn kilometers of the Spanish Mediterranean into sunnier versions of their own seaside resorts but few non-Spaniards venture to this wild and stunning stretch of the Atlantic, just north of
Portugal.
True, you are not guaranteed buckets of dawn-to-dusk sunshine every day, but in exchange for the odd cloud and shower spilling in from the Atlantic you are rewarded with green forests, far superior beaches, a spectacular fjord-like coastline and the finest seafood in Spain -- some would say the world. Last weekend, I was blessed with glorious 30?C sunshine accompanied by a cooling breeze which made the heat bearable -- something else you don't get in the Med.
Driving south from the awesome cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela (a place where it does seem to rain every day -- it's known as the "urinal of Spain" and when checking in to my hotel I was presented with an umbrella) to the Portuguese border I crossed a succession of beautiful rias, or inlets, surrounded by steep forested hills, scenic coves and superb sandy beaches. These deep blue estuaries, where fresh water meets salt, are the defining characteristic of the Galician coast and filled with an abundance of sea creatures and acres of oyster beds.
En route, I stopped off to wander through the narrow streets of the splendid old town of Pontevedra and then headed for Vigo for lunch. In a country that dominates the European
fishery, Galicia leads the fleet and Vigo, the regional capital, is the second largest fishing port in the world after Tokyo -- so the docks seemed like the obvious place to head. There's not much to "see" in Vigo but the cobbled streets, bustling port atmosphere and cheap seafood joints around Rua Pescaderia, "fish-market street," are well worth savoring. Everyone in the busy tapas bar I ventured into was tucking into heaped platefuls of pulpo (octopus), Galicia's "national" dish, scallops and tasty, but tough-to-open percebes, unique to the rias.
It was all washed down with ribeiro, a local wine similar to Portuguese vinho verde: young, crisp and perfect with seafood. Try the Vina Costeira, which is delicious and served nearly everywhere.
"You can't miss it," I'd been told when I asked how I'd find my hotel for the weekend, in the small seaside resort of Baiona. Sure enough it was the first thing I saw as I drove into town, and a grin of sheer contentment spread across my face in anticipation -- for the government-owned Parador de Baiona is simply stunning. A regal manor house within a medieval fortress, it stands on a headland that dominates the picturesque bay it was built to protect. As I walked up the grand old granite staircase, swung open the huge windows of my huge oak-beamed room overlooking the ramparts and the shining blue bay, my smile grew even wider. This is the best hotel in Galicia, has one of the most romantic settings in Spain and, with doubles starting at US$138 per night, is one of the best bargains you'll find anywhere.
Even if you're not staying here you can stroll the 3km around the fort on top of the colossal ramparts, have a drink on the terrace and take in the views. Built in the 16th century on the site of a Roman settlement, this impregnable fortress held strong against the man the hotel literature describes as "Drake the pirate." Although, "unfortunately" it continues, the dastardly Englishman "sacked and destroyed nearby Vigo."
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